How do I get into medical school and can I afford it? Minority students are not alone in asking these questions. There are no easy answers but there are many sources of helpful information, including the home web pages of the Yale School of Medicine Office of Admissions and Office of Financial Aid. In addition, we urge you to search the OMCA database of financial aid resources for minority students and to inquire directly with our office to address your specific questions and needs.

The information presented below gives an overview of the issues important to the Yale School of Medicine admissions process and to financing your medical education.

Admissions overview
The Admissions Committee, in general, seeks to admit students who seem best suited for the educational program and the aims of the School. The Committee looks for academically accomplished and highly motivated students who have the potential to make significant contributions in the field of medicine. The applicant must also demonstrate maturity and responsibility appropriate to meeting the demands of the Yale System of medical education. The entering class at the Yale School of Medicine is composed of students who have diverse backgrounds. Approximately forty-five percent of the students are women and about twenty percent have African American or Hispanic heritage.

The Admissions Committee has no set cutoff point with regard to grades or MCAT scores. All aspects of the applicant's background, including socioeconomic factors, are considered in evaluating the achievements and character of the individual. Visit the home page of the Yale School of Medicine Office of Admissions for more information.

Financial aid overview
Yale University has a broad policy for the College, Graduate School, and Professional Schools to identify and accept qualified students without regard to financial need. The Administration of the School of Medicine adheres to this policy and the Financial Aid Officer prepares the most suitable package so that each student is able to attend school with the minimum feasible financial constraints. The budget of each student is based on the average cost of living in the area around the Medical Center plus related expenses (books, supplies, etc.).

Each year students provide personal and family financial information so that an accurate and practical budget and need determination can be made. All students applying for aid must complete the the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and the Need Access Application. The amount of need is the cost of tuition and living expenses (rent, food, books, etc.) minus the calculated resources of the individual student (which includes parental contribution). The remaining need is then met by a combination of loans and scholarships.

A unit loan is established each year ($18,000 for the 2000/2001 academic year) which is the minimum loan a student must first borrow before becoming eligible for other scholarship and loan assistance. The unit loan consists of funding from the government and Yale University loan resources which are generally below market interest rate and and may be deferrable until the student completes his or her education or training.

Each financial aid award package is tailored to minimize the indebtedness of the student after graduation. Loans for funds above the calculated need may be met by borrowing from Federal or private sources. We encourage you to search our database of resources for medical students to identify potential non-Yale financial resources.

A limited number of partial tuition scholarship are made available to disadvantaged students. Others are available from outside sources. Scholarships and/or grants brought in by the student from outside sources will be used to offset the amount of loan indebtedness.

More information concerning can be obtained directly from the Yale School of Medicine Office of Financial Aid.